Despite initial challenges and a limited scope, the interest in opera endured, paving the way for the expansion and diversification of the art form in the 19th century.
[6] During the 1800s, European opera companies embarked on tours across prominent cities in the United States, introducing timeless masterpieces to American spectators.
It played a role in shaping the cultural identity of growing cities, with the Metropolitan Opera, founded in 1883, emerging as a major institution.
[8] In this sense, the first American operas emerged in 1937, with the premieres of Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts and George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.
[9] During the 20th century, American composers such as Samuel Barber, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Leonard Bernstein emerged and gained worldwide recognition for their remarkable contributions to opera.